Earlier this week I had a total recipe fail and I was a bit discouraged since I haven’t had much time in the kitchen lately, but then I took a step back and realized I needed to get back to my roots. Simple recipes, with simple ingredients, and lots of flavor. So I decided to take advantage of a sale on Italian sausage (one of my favorite “short cut” ingredients) and whip up this incredibly filling Italian Sausage and White Bean Skillet.
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Automatic Seasoning with Sausage
One of the reasons I love working with Italian sausage is because it’s packed with all the herbs and spices that you would normally add one by one to a recipe. So when I start a dish with Italian sausage, I rarely have to season it with anything later. The sausage does all the work for me. Yay!
To retain all the flavor from the sausage, I did not drain the fat from the skillet, but rather used it as a sort of sauce or dressing to coat the white beans and spinach with flavor. I added some freshly cracked pepper and that’s it. I used hot Italian sausage because that’s what was on sale, but you can use mild or sweet varieties as well.
How to Serve Italian Sausage and White Bean Skillet
This Italian sausage and White Bean Skillet is so extremely versatile that I wanted to give you a few variations. I decided to go with a “one skillet” and low-er carb version because those recipes seem to be quite popular lately, but you can lower the cost and stretch this meal out by replacing some of the sausage, beans, or spinach with 8oz. of cooked pasta, preferably orecchiette, which is a flat, disk-like shape. If you can’t find spinach for a low price like I did (thank you, Aldi!!), you can cut the amount of spinach in half and still have a great dish, or use frozen chopped spinach.
Want more Italian Sausage recipes? Check out our Italian Sausage Recipe Archives!
Italian Sausage and White Bean Skillet
Servings 4 about 1.5 cups eachIngredients
- 1 lb. Italian sausage (hot, mild, or sweet) ($3.49)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.13)
- 2 15oz. cans cannellini beans* ($1.10)
- 8 oz. spinach ($1.49)
- Freshly cracked black pepper ($0.05)
Instructions
- Remove the casing from the sausage and add the sausage to a large deep skillet, or wide bottomed soup pot, along with the olive oil. Sauté the sausage over medium heat, breaking it into pieces as you go, until the sausage is cooked through, brown, and crispy on the edges (about 10 minutes).
- While the sausage is cooking, rinse and drain the cannellini beans. Once the sausage is brown and crispy, add the beans and some freshly cracked pepper to the skillet. Gently stir the beans into the sausage to coat them in the fat, and allow them to heat through.
- As the beans are heating through, roughly chop the spinach. Add the spinach to the skillet or pot in batches, gently stirring it into the sausage and beans until it wilts down. Once the spinach is mostly wilted, turn the heat off. Taste the mixture and add salt if needed (this will depend on the salt content of your sausage and beans). Serve hot.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Equipment
- Deep Stainless Steel Skillet
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!How to Make Sausage and White Bean Skillet – Step by Step Photos
This recipe started with this awesome sale on Italian sausage. This whole package, which is actually slightly larger than 1 lb. was only $3.49. This recipe is very flexible and forgiving, so you can use a little less, a little more, or exactly 1 lb. Italian sausage, and it can be hot, mild, or sweet.
Remove the casing from the sausage and then add the sausage to a large deep skillet, or a wide-bottomed pot with 1 Tbsp olive oil. Sauté the sausage over medium heat, breaking it into pieces as it cooks, until the sausage pieces are brown and crispy. Don’t stop when it’s simply cooked through, keep going until the moisture evaporates and the edges start to sizzle in the oil and turn brown.
While the sausage is cooking, rinse and drain two 15oz. cans of cannellini beans. Cannellini beans are better than navy beans or great northern beans because they are larger, hold up better, and have a great creamy flavor. The smaller beans that tend to break down are better suited for soups and things where you’ll want them to break down and help thicken the mixture.
Once the sausage is crispy, add the drained beans and gently stir to combine. Add some freshly cracked pepper and allow the beans to heat through with the sausage.
I’m lucky enough to be able to buy this 8oz. bag of fresh spinach for $1.49, but if you can’t get a deal like this you can either reduce the spinach by half, or use frozen spinach in its place. The only downside to using the frozen spinach is that the texture and appearance will not be as good. Instead of being tender, the frozen spinach will be a bit more stringy. Actually frozen broccoli florets (chopped into small pieces) would also be pretty awesome with this.
Roughly chop the spinach and add it to the skillet in batches, stirring it just until it wilts down, and then adding the next batch.
Once all the spinach has been added and it is mostly wilted (you want it to still have a little body, not totally cooked down), give everything a taste and add salt or pepper if needed. My skillet was so extremely flavorful, even without adding anything else. It’s amazing! The amount of seasoning needed at the end will likely depend on the salt and spice content of your sausage and beans, so it may vary from brand to brand.
Dinner doesn’t get easier than this. :)
I love this dish!! The beans really tie it together – it’s something about their texture. I often use some extra spinach — even when I use a 9oz bag (recipe calls for 8oz), the proportions of my dish don’t match the pictures, and I like to make sure I’m getting my greens.
For those who have commented that the recipe is too greasy, I like to use turkey sausage! It releases less grease but still hits all the flavor points.
If using frozen broccoli instead of spinach (my kids love broccoli), would you cook it and then chop it before adding to the mix, or add it to the mix frozen and then chop it? Amateur cook here… Thanks!
I’d use frozen broccoli because it’s already par-cooked and chopped for you, so you could just add it straight to the skillet frozen, then cook until heated through. :) If using fresh broccoli, you’d probably need to chop then lightly steam or blanch it first.
Your intro to this recipe made me laugh. I was searching the internet looking for a new beans and greens recipe and everything I clicked on seemed too fussy and was going to make me run to the store. Then I thought I should check Budget Bytes. Bam! Something simple, adaptable and I have everything needed. I have been using you website and cookbook for years and always find something that fits the bill. Thanks for your hard work!
A little too greasy and sausage-y as is, but it is a great starter recipe. If you drain after making the sausage and throw in a bunch more veggies, it is an easy go-to recipe. I added cherry tomatoes, half a bag of frozen cauliflower florets, some grated carrot, and pepperoncinis (for acidity) and this was a big hit!
Excellent recipe! I happened to have all these ingredients on hand (even the same bag of spinach as you Beth!). Instead of adding extra salt, we added grated parmesan to each of our plates. A definite winner!
I made this with frozen spinach and it was great! I thawed it in the microwave and squeezed out the excess moisture through a towel so it wouldn’t be soggy and it was a delicious meal we’ll be making over and over again. Top wit grated Parmesan if you have any, it’s worth the extra step!
Adding in some cherry tomatoes and some sliced up cherry peppers bumped up this dish’s brightness and flavor a bit. But it was a great starting point.
Don’t care for the taste of fennel in Italian sausage, so will use plain sausage and add garlic, onions and salt, as well as some dry oregano and basil.
I found this overwhelmingly sausage-y. It sounded good, and I liked that it was quick. I sauteed the sausage, added the rinsed beans, then the chopped spinach. It was disgusting. My husband ate it (after spooning it over steamed rice), but after one taste, I couldn’t eat it at all. I suppose it’s because I’m used to Italian sausage being a grace note in the background of spaghetti or lasagna, not up front and so very present. I also found it greasy – maybe because the sausage wasn’t drained as I followed the directions implicitly. Egg and toast to the rescue for dinner. Very sad. Won’t be making this again
Just made this tonight. I added one grated carrot and half a chopped leek. It’s brilliant, will definitely make it again. Perfect for a chilly night.
I made almost this exact thing the other day but used kale instead of spinach and took advantage of some chicken Italian sausage we happened to have. It was delicious and healthy and even my teenage son was a fan.
I was missing an acidic flavor, so I added some feta. The acidity definitely brings this dish alive! Try finding an acidic ingredient to add.
Okay so I’ve found the comments to be helpful in the past when working with what I have or getting ideas so I thought I’d share mine here! Please note, everyone in the comments is 100% correct, this recipe is so flavorful thanks to the sausage that you can really do anything to it and it will be good.
Once Beth recommended broccoli instead of spinach, I decided to roast frozen broccoli and cauliflower (https://www.budgetbytes.com/oven-roasted-frozen-broccoli/). I used these vegetables to replace the spinach and 1 can of beans
Browned the sausages in their casings, sliced, added back to the pan to brown
Added 1 can of cannellini beans with the liquid because I was feeling brave — great to get brown bits off the bottom!
Added the 16oz roasted brocc/cauli, and decided at the end to throw in 4 oz of frozen spinach to bulk up the veg factor (it didn’t need it necessarily, but I’m also not mad at it for joining the party)
I know it sounds like I changed the recipe entirely, but cooking these Budget Bytes recipes has given me so much confidence to try new stuff, so thank you!
Oh My!!! So simple and so good!! Just me so I had it for a few dinners and lunches. Going to be a regular in my kitchen for sure!
I cannot find this recipe on the app. I searched by title, I searched by “Italian sausage” and “white beans,” and found no matches. Does the app have fewer recipes than the website?
It does, but this one is available on the app, so let me tell you where to find it. :) The app comes pre-loaded with 500 recipes and the rest, including everything I’ve created since the app launched, are available for you to download to your app through the app’s marketplace (you can still get them for free). Just tap the little shopping bag icon on the bottom of the home page to go to the marketplace. Then make sure to tap over to “recipes” at the top instead of “bundles” before you search. If you search there for “Italian Sausage” it should be the first one that pops up. :)
I just wanted to thank you for such an easy and delicious meal. Meals like this really save me when I am exhausted. I call them “as easy as scrambled eggs” meals. I would love to see more like this!
I used a very similar recipe for years and we love it. It’s a simple, quick and inexpensive meal and the only thing I serve with it is bread. My original recipe calls for 2 large garlic cloves (sliced thin) and 1 onion sliced thin. I use Jimmy Dean’s regular sausage and it’s worked well.
I used a pound of mild italian sausage but added a heavy dose of red pepper flakes since I like it hot, along with a little extra dried basil and oregano.
I used canned canellini beans from Aldi and those were mostly mush by the time I stirred in the spinach, even though I was careful. I think you’d have to use dry beans (already cooked) for this to keep the shape in Beth’s photos. The flavor was good, but it was not visually appealing.
Also, I am 100% sure they were canellini, and not navy… Maybe something about Aldi’s brand?
I definitely used canned beans for this, but you’re right, it might be something about the brand used. I do find textural differences in canned beans between brands. Unfortunately I don’t remember which brand I used this time around, but I tend to go with store brands unless those aren’t available, then I’ll get Bush’s or whatever is available.
I had the exact same issue.
The flavor is good, so next time I’m going to wilt the spinach, and then add the beans.
Good for how easy it was, but seemed to be missing something on it’s own. My guy had the bold idea to put sriracha on top. Yum! Scooped on top of a crusty baguette, it was scrumptious.
This was so delish, I am cooking beans now and making the recipe tonite for the second time in a couple of weeks using our homemade sausage. Will try adding some feta per some suggestions. The one thing that surprised me was the cost of the ingredients as posted! I’m in Canada so maybe the prices are a lot different here, but there is no way I would find those prices anywhere near the posted ones. Double the price of everything! Mind you, our Cdn $ is only worth about .70c US.
Thanks for the great recipe!
We don’t eat pork so I used beef kielbasa. This dish was a winner.
You can easily turn this into a soup. add a few cups of stock and a can of diced tomatoes. I always add some diced onion when cooking my sausage.
I substituted kale for spinach, added a diced sweet potato, dried cranberries, and a dollop of plain yogurt. It was very pretty and delicious. It’s an extremely versatile recipe. It’s a keeper!!
Absolutely delicious! Way back when, this was one of the first recipes from this blog that I made, and one of my first forays into real cooking. Made it again for old times sake, and (since I’ve been eating frozen spinach for weeks) used arugula instead. Made it even better, if possible!
Cubed, steamed sweet potato is so good in this dish!
I have never commented on a recipe before but I was so into this I just had to share. Was this is the perfect dinner recipe or what?? It took less than 15 mins to make, was super filling and oh, did I mention freakin’ delicious?! I used hot turkey sausage (my fave) and I was actually super sad that I was so full that I couldn’t go for round 2. I bought a fresh loaf of crusty wheat bread to go along with it – absolute perfection. This made enough for lunch the next day but I will be doubling the recipe next time so I can make it last way longer :)
We swapped regular sausage for beyond meat sausage and it worked really well for a vegetarian weeknight dish!
Just tried this using Boerewors, heavy on spice and flavour.
Great that its such a simple combo; greens beans proteins
Before I made this, I was unsure how I was going to feel about it, because I wasn’t sure if I liked cannellini beans, and I thought it wouldn’t be filling enough… I was thinking about adding some gluten free penne. Boy, was I wrong on both accounts. This dish was not only extremely filling (there is no way you need to add more starch!), but SO flavorful and simple. And apparently I love cannellini beans, or at least like this I do! Very highly recommend this recipe! Easy and quick to make, delicious, and cheap – what’s not to love??
I add lemon juice to cut the heaviness of the dish. Otherwise it is a favorite of mine! Very simple and hearty.
Great tip Terra!
Love this recipe. I do add a couple things I feel are missing. I add a white onion to the sausage and some pecorino romano at the end. The salty pecorino is perfect in it.
Turned out great! I cooked up a big batch of dried white beans I need to get through, now this recipe is going into my regular rotation. I served it with penne, I needed a little olive oil for extra fat for the noodles and it was delicious.
I madey own Italian sausage with ground turkey and spices, and added 12oz cooked bowtie pasta and parmesan cheese at the end. So delicious, and will be in my regular rotation now Thank you for this easy, delicious recipe!
I love this recipe! I don’t eat pork so I make it with vegan sausage. At the end I add a little lemon juice and feta cheese.
Brilliant mid week dinner! Didn’t have Italian sausage at the shop so just used regular and added fennel, oregano, basil and garlic. Also added chilli flakes for a bit of extra kick. So tasty.
We love this recipe. We add Fire Roasted Garlic diced tomatoes and sometimes serve over rice. I noticed a lot of comments about acidity. Hope this helps may try adding some Feta cheese
This is so so so good! A note for those using chicken sausage (like I did), you will most likely need to add about 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan after you’ve browned the chicken sausage to make sure there is enough fat to coat the beans and the spinach. This recipe is a winner and my husband and I loved it!
I was so excited to make this for meal prep, but am starting to think spinach isn’t the best green for it! I also added a can of drained tomatoes and think that might’ve been too much liquid, or I should’ve let the sausage crisp longer as the whole thing was very liquid-y at the end of it. Love your recipes though and will keep on experimenting with them!😊
This is like a streamlined version of this recipe, which I’ve been making for years and has an amazing flavor: https://www.restaurantwidow.com/2005/09/italian_sauage_.html
The bean/sausage/greens combo really is a winner, and so versatile.
Pretty good! However, I think it would be best to add the spinach after browning the sausage because the best kind of turned a bit mushy.
The simplicity of this recipe is only matched by its versatility. It was hearty and full of flavor as written, but like most I tweaked it to my families preferences.
We are fans of the fresh spinach option so I actually tripled the amount with a finer chop and before wilting it in I added homemade chicken stock. The beans and spinach really soak up the little extra juice and gives it enough moisture so you can reheat and freeze in advance.
Serve with a side salad and a baguette and this is every bit as delish as my fave bistro offering.
It’s not on here but the nutritional values for this dish are awesome as well.
Excellent submission and my compliments to the chef!
I have to work with Food Bank handouts that I fortunately get 3X a month. I’m always looking for recipes to use up excesses of just about anything. Your recipes are truly a help. I’m trying beans, spinach and turkey sausage. The sausage I made myself but it is spicy. I’ll let you know how it turns out for me. Thanks for your site.
Simple. Easy. Quick…and very tasty as well. I would definitely recommend it and I will be making it again good like on a Monday night Tuesday night when you want to have something quick.
Hi Beth,
This was amazing. I have to admit I added in a couple of things. I sauteed an onion, some garlic, and threw in some bruised fennel seed, along with a can of diced tomatoes and some orzo. Also some white wine vinegar. my husband was most appreciative! Thank you for her another simple yet delightfully customizable recipe! Your recipes make people want to cook!I
Jules
Since this recipe was originally posted I’ve made it at least once a month. Sometimes I don’t get off work until 9:30 PM and this is a perfect, quick dinner. I love that it has a fresh taste to it even though the spinach is cooked. Spinach has always been a staple in my home, and now thanks to Budget Bytes, so are cannellini beans. This recipe is true to word, a quick 20 minutes, if not 15 minutes.
So glad I found your site! Your recipes are truly superb!
Yummy! I added a can of diced tomatoes, and served over rice….a keeper!
This seems to be a perfect recipe to take for a weekly work lunch! I’m so glad I stumbled upon it! I think I’ll make it and eat alongside couscous.
I can’t believe how good yet simple this was. I used one can of beans with one spicy sausage and it was 2 small servings
Is there any reason kale wouldn’t work for this? (It’s on sale this week!)
That would be an awesome addition! :)
IT TURNED OUT SO WELL.
Great to hear! I totally want to add kale to my next batch!
I made this with frozen spinach which worked out great! I added lower carb Dreamfield rotini pasta and some garlic, fennel seed, red pepper flakes, parmigiana cheese and a little pasta water. It came out creamy and delicious. We eat low-er carb and this fit the bill. Thanks!
Very simple and perfect when I am so low on energy. Wish I had known about it sooner when I was going through severe pregnancy fatigue. I had to use navy beans though because the commissary didn’t have the recommended beans. I put this on some brown rice. Mmmmmm! I’ll try some of these suggestions from the comments one day.
Great flavor, added grated Parm and some Beef broth, fresh garlic. But it needs something, maybe use it like a Shepherd’s Pie with a topping of some kind, or as a baked casserole.
Really enjoyed it, but it was kind of ho-hum on the plate. I can eat a ton of it, but it’s just a tick shy of being a meal, more like a side dish.
Maybe tossed with some Penne or Bowties.
I’m just feeling like something is missing. Again, great flavor, loved the whole mix of the the flavors!
I’ve made this a few times now. We substituted red kidney beans the other day. It was still amazing!
Made this for a family Christmas pot luck using a dutch over, I also tripled the recipe. Added in some kale and also some parmesan cheese towards the end. After it was all done I layered some more cheese on top and cracked fresh pepper over it. Put on the lid on, removed from heat, let it rest while I packed up the car. When I arrived (15 mins later) to the party the cheese had formed a wonderful stringy layer, so each serving had some. My family loved the recipe and couldn’t believe how simple it was to make. This will be a staple for the coming years.
Hi Beth, can I make this ahead and freeze it? I’m thinking casserole dish for company over the holidays. I’ve made this many times and we all love it. Very easy and very tasty!
Hmmm, I’m not sure how this one would freeze. My only concern is that it might get kind of dry. You might try just freezing one serving to test it out and then go from there.
This was super easy and super tasty! I did follow the suggestion of adding garlic, cooking it in with the sausage.
This is likened to a Southern girls’ beans and ham hock flavor. I was pleasantly surprised at how the 3 simple ingredients duplicated that comfort food taste of a pot of beans and pork cooked all day.
I made this for my husband and I, who is a picky eater that never willingly chooses to eat spinach or beans. It was a hit! Per another reviewer’s recommendation, I added one cup of chicken broth and 2.5oz of heavy cream after I added the beans, and 1oz of parmesan at the end of cooking. I already had these additions in my kitchen, but the recipe would still be delicious without. The end result was slightly thicker and a little creamier, perfect with thick crusty bread the first night and over rotini as leftovers. Thank you for such a quick and easy recipe!
So easy. So quick. So flavorful. Can I have another 5 versions of this to rotate every week (very serious question)? I adored this recipe. Also, great leftovers to pack for work! (That’s if you have leftovers… had to double the recipe to have any survive.)
May I add a few suggestions? A few cloves of minced garlic sauteed with the sausage really amps up the flavor. Some chicken broth (maybe 1/2 cup or so) helps the texture. And a few TBSP of grated Parmesan or Romano at the end melts and turns the broth and fat into a delicious creamy sauce. Also, sometimes I use a more bitter green like kale or broccoli rabe. The slight bitterness really goes well with the sausage flavor.
I made this tonight with some Italian chicken sausage I saw at the store for $2.99/lb and it was delicious! Thank you for the excellent recipe!
Loved cooking this, but for next time I will definitely add more broth and let the beans soak in it a little longer, as mine ended up quite dry!
I cooked this today and followed your directions and ingredient list. Super flavorful and quick. I did not know why some recipes called for Cannellini beans and other recipes call for northern or navy. I just always called them white beans but will be more thoughtful when deciding which bean to cook.
Next time I make this I am going to follow some of the suggestions from your readers on different mix ins. What a good cool weather dish!
This cooked up so fast, the hubs was worried it wasn’t done. 😊 I love the simplicity and versatility of all the Budget Bytes recipes. I had some of those sun dried tomatoes in olive oil left over from another recipe and I added a few of those, as well as some feta, just because I’m obsessed. Yum. After dinner I scrambled up some eggs, threw in the leftovers, and wrapped it up in tortillas for breakfast burritos.
We liked this a lot! I think if I made again, I’d add a little broth to get all of the brown bits up off the bottom and have just a little more sauce to it.
Omg I loved this dish! Hubs was skeptical at first and then scarfed it down. The only change I made was using my own beans instead of canned. This was delicious, simple, fast and so yummy.
I accidentally got kale at the store instead of spinach, would kale work?
Yes, but you’ll want to sauté the kale for longer for it to tenderize.
This is the first recipe I’ve tried from this website and I am super impressed. Sausage, white beans, spinach, salt, pepper, that’s it??? And yet the ingredients felt so right for each other. The beans became nice and creamy in the sausage fat…. didn’t even know they could do that. It’s hard to find recipes my husband can eat because he has so many allergies, and despite the fact that he’s terrible at cooking this was easy enough for us to make together. It took all of 10 minutes to prepare. A beautifully simple dish. This is not the kind of meal I think of when I think ”cheap food” yet as promised it was very affordable!
It’s obvious so much work went into this site, as well as the app, which I’ve recently downloaded (this recipe is not on the app, though, so I haven’t gotten to use it yet.) I really appreciate it and look forward to making more recipes.
Holy heeeck. I added a bit of minced garlic after the sausage was browned, and added about a cup of broth and as the beans broke down, it made a creamy sauce so I served it over zucchini noodles. So happy. I also made your homemade garlic bread!
Your website is really helping me through tough financial times. <3
I just made this with 50/50 ground pork and beef and it was just delicious. I had to get a bit creative with my spice rack, but in the end it was just so easy and delicous, who cares.
Only thing I added in the end was a tablespoon of creme fraiche and half a cup of beef broth just add some creaminess to it and I can only recommend doing that
Made this tonight. Absolutely delicious. Only added some lemon wedges as I love citus upon serving. Thanks for an easy meal. Will make again.
I make something similar but I cook some onion and garlic then cook the sausage. I also add a can of petite diced tomatoes and let some of the liquid cook down before adding the spinach. I think this will be on next week’s menu. Yum!
I made this last night and it was sooooo good! It was a tiny bit dry, so I may add a little bit of water next time, but that did not detract from the taste and texture. Next time, I think I will try to get Turkey Italian Sausage just to be a little bit more healthy. I live alone, so I have enough for tonight and tomorrow. (I know it’s supposed to serve 4, but I couldn’t help myself. How can anything that tastes so good be budget-wise, and healthy?? 8-)
I know I’m out of place with this question, but I’d wanted to make this recipe with a Field Roast Veggie Italian Sausage but, when I tried making it, I noticed the beans haven’t got any fat to cook in, making them just become more or less regular ol’ white beans (and cooking them longer would’ve burned the veggie sausage as that would also burn). Any advice on how to sub a veggie sausage? I’m down with butter! Totally fine if it’s not possible.
Hmm, I’ve never used Field Roast before so it’s hard to say, but I suspect you could use any type of fat that you like… butter, coconut oil, olive oil?
SOOO…. I used turkey italian sausage from Aldi and added some sautéed mushrooms (removed the cooked turkey while cooking mushrooms). Before adding the spinach, I added some chicken stock to the sausage/beans/mushrooms mixture and let it cook down (I was a bit worried about the sausage being too dry– turkey is so lean that is lacks the magic of pork sausage). The final result was like a cassoulet!!! Totally creamy, flavorful, and delicious. I cooked it for a friend of mine and she was SO thrilled!
I made this for dinner tonight, and we loved it! It was so good, flavorful, and filling. Best of all, my 13 month old loved it too! This recipe is definitely a keeper!
(Just replying because I forgot to rate the recipe)
Turned out pretty tasty. This is a great dish that is so easy I can even make it on a weeknight when I’m feeling lazy.
You can make it even cheaper by using dried beans instead of canned, although it wouldn’t be quite as quick.
I made this with kale (personal preference) and also sautéed an onion in the sausage grease and it was fantastic. This will be a regular around here this fall. Thanks, Beth.
I’ve done this with Kale and it is amazing! I havn’t tried with the spinach but love it with kale because it holds up really well! if you brown/throw in some chopped onion and garlic it really adds to it as well!
This was so good I almost cried (because I knew my picky husband would love it and he did)! I used Johnsonville hot Italian sausage 19 oz. package, Progresso beans, and 9 oz. bag of Publix fresh spinach, plus olive oil and fresh ground black pepper. I can’t thank you enough for this one – fantastic and so easy.
This looks amazing! I plan to make it Labor Day weekend. Thanks!
Love the simplicity of this dish! I haven’t had sausage in a long time and this looks too good to pass up. Thanks for the recipe!
Kroger actually sells Italian sausage outside of the casing for the same price!
I just made it and it’s tasty. Am wondering if it is safe to reheat since it has so much spinach in it?
Yes, there is nothing particularly unsafe about reheating spinach. :)
Regarding fresh vs frozen spinach – the best frozen spinach I’ve used is from Bird’s Eye. Admittedly, I’m a brand-name frozen veggie girl for flavor reasons, so I haven’t tried too many brands. At any rate, for a while the only frozen blocks at my store were Green Giant, and they were indeed stringy like you said and I used fresh unless I was suuuuper short on time. But I find that the Birds Eye blocks are more consistently leafy and not stringy. The leaves are chopped smaller than I’d do from fresh, but in a skillet dish like this I usually don’t mind. :)
This is good to know, Lillian. It’s sometimes hard to choose at the store, all the various brands saying they’re the best. It’s good to have a specific recommendation. I will check out Bird’ Eye for sure. Thanks.
I’m looking forward to making this recipe shortly. If I were to make this dish, is it possible that I can use either bow tie or small shelled pasta? I’m unable to find orecchiette in my area. Thanks, Beth!! :-)
Yep, you can use any shape you like, but I just thought the orecchiette would be particularly nice. :)
I made this for dinner tonight and the hubs and I both LOVED it! Next time I’m going to try adding some diced red pepper in with the sausage and maybe some diced tomatoes to lighten it up a bit.
I absolutely love the new feature to adjust the recipe for the number of servings!!
This looks yummy! I’ll bet you could substitute swiss chard for the spinach (which is free from my garden at this time of year)
Absolutely. Swiss chard sounds amazing for this! :)
Fast and YUM!! Served this with some leftover rice
Could you please share your recipe fail with us? If it is not too painful?😄 We can learn from it, and it has happened to all of us!
It was some turkey meatball subs/sliders. I can’t pinpoint exactly what was wrong with them, they just didn’t wow me. :) And the photos were terrible because I’m still learning the light in my new house. LOL
Could you please tell us about your recipe fail? If you can bring yourself to?😄 We can learn from that too!
Hi Miss Beth! Thanks to your thrifty tip and easy directions, I’ve come to realize that making black beans and garbanzo beans at home adds quite a different texture and flavor experience than the quick and easy can version of the same items. The difference is amazing and motivates me to make ahead and freeze for “quick” use during the week. Do you think the cannellini beans recommended for this skillet are something easily picked up in a bag at the grocery store and cooked at home too? Asking for a friend…because you know cooking brings me NO joy (ha ha!) I can’t wait to try this recipe (sorry for your recipe fail earlier this week, but thanks for returning to your roots and sharing this ‘un!)
How easy dry Cannellini beans are to find will depend on where you live. They are definitely easy to cook at home and freeze well. A good substitute for Cannellini beans if you live in the US and can’t find them at your local grocery store are dry Great Northern beans, which tend to be a bit less expensive and easier to find in some areas. I used some Great Northern beans from my freezer tonight in a modified version of this dish and it turned out wonderfully.
You can definitely cook cannellini beans at home, but do not use a slow cooker. Cannellini beans are in the kidney bean family and need to be boiled (a hard, full boil) for at least ten minutes to break down a natural compound that can be toxic to our digestive system. The only issue is that the beans can tend to break down and lose their shape when boiled like this, so it’s tricky. That’s why for this bean I prefer canned. :)
That looks delicious, and also fits the bill perfectly for some nutritional deficiencies I’ve been dealing with. I’ll probably mix it with some pasta and a little bit of leftover pasta water for a light sauce.
This looks delicious!